| The Shaker ladder back chair is probably the most | | | | improvement store. |
| widely recognized pieces of furniture around and has | | | | One of the most important aspects of making your |
| been copied by other craftsmen since the originals | | | | own shaker furniture is to use a good set of |
| were first marketed by the Shakers in the late 18th | | | | professionally prepared Shaker furniture plans. For the |
| century. | | | | best chance of success, these plans should contain: |
| There are collections of Shaker furniture in many | | | | 1) Blueprints & Instructions - It's critical to your success |
| museums in the USA and England, where they appeal | | | | to get plans that have detailed blueprints and good |
| to the modern eye and traditionalists alike. They | | | | clear written instructions. It's a lot easier to follow along |
| weren't all hand made either - the shakers were adept | | | | a step by step guide and know what to do, referring |
| at using the best technology of the day and in fact | | | | to the drawings along the way. Some of the better |
| invented the circular saw blade, a tool that we take for | | | | sets even have videos. |
| granted today. | | | | 2) A Complete Materials list - It's most frustrating to |
| Its not that hard to own your own piece of shaker | | | | find halfway through a project that you have to go off |
| style furniture, however few of us could afford the | | | | to the store to get that little piece not mentioned |
| originals today even if they were for sale. But you will | | | | before. Having a complete bill of materials will save a |
| be amazed how simple it is to build your own Shaker | | | | lot of time and ensure you have everything you need |
| furniture by using a well thought out set of | | | | at the start. |
| woodworking plans. | | | | I've seen far too many poorly put together sets of |
| You probably have many of the tools and materials | | | | plans that have neither good easy to follow drawings |
| needed already, also the rest of what you need can | | | | or detailed materials lists. It's not a plan for success but |
| be got easily at your local lumber yard or home | | | | a recipe for disaster! |